Expan Experience: Discovering Orlando on Christmas Eve

Christmas celebrations with Mickey Mouse and his friends, lights everywhere, parades, snow in the parks, and a festive atmosphere that captivates all travelers. Christmas in Florida begins the moment the first decoration starts to sparkle at Disney, and a vacation in Orlando or Kissimmee can be your 'All I Want for Christmas'.

In this edition of Expan Experience, Cynthia Moya , Sales Supervisor, tells us about her recent adventure in the United States, in which she discovered Kissimmee, a rising destination with amazing vacation homes and neighbor to the entertaining Orlando, where theme parks and shopping are the main attractions.

The accommodation experience in Kissimmee

"The trip was basically called Expedition Kissimmee. It was about getting to know the experience of staying in Kissimmee ; that was the main objective. Kissimmee is a city next to Orlando, so people often think it's like an area within Orlando, but it's a separate city. We stayed in Kissimmee to see how far away the main attractions were."

Whether staying in Kissimmee or Orlando, the main attraction will always be the theme parks . I visited Universal parks, Disney parks, and the Kennedy Space Center in Port Canaveral, which is a bit farther away.

Kissimmee is essentially a city with hotels and supermarkets, and they're trying to develop it as a tourist destination. Its main advantage, unlike other areas, is the abundance of vacation homes, ranging from two to eight or ten bedrooms , including budget-friendly, luxury, and themed options, offering a kind of American-style experience. There are also hotel options ranging from three-star to luxury boutique hotels.

Disney Springs and Kennedy Space Center

"I visited Cirque du Soleil , which is at Disney Springs , which is like the center of Disney. This attraction is there, something very beautiful, very different. Disney Springs has a whole theme, we had dinner there… It has many restaurants, shops, live music, a great vibe."

After the other activities included in the Disney Springs program, we went to the Kennedy Space Center, 40-45 minutes from Kissimmee . It's a NASA complex . A bus tour takes you inside the center, including the building where the rockets are assembled, the launch pad, and explanations about how rockets carry things into space and that some are crewed.

Then they take you to an area where they simulate the launch of Apollo 8 , the first mission to the Moon. During the countdown, they move the floor. After that, they take you to a section with a giant, real rocket and tell you a bit about the history of space exploration, how rockets are built, and NASA's recycling efforts. It's really interesting to learn about this.

Then there's the simulator section, the most entertaining part of the complex, where you can get into simulators and go on expeditions to Mars and the Moon . They explain what NASA is currently working on, including the Artemis Program to return to the Moon. At the Kennedy Space Center, all the talks are in English. For passengers who don't speak English, there are many things they might not understand, but it's still a super fun and educational experience.

Christmas shines in Orlando

"They took us to Disney's Christmas party, Merry Merry Christmas Mickey's Party . It's only held at Magic Kingdom Park, and you have to buy a separate ticket for that party in addition to your regular day ticket. It's a party that runs from about 7:00 pm until midnight. They have all the decorations, a parade, fireworks, snow in the park—it's really magical."

I visited Universal Studios Islands of Adventure , about half an hour from Kissimmee. There are more extreme rides and simulators, everything is much more professional, much more technologically advanced. For people who like the most extreme roller coasters, Universal Islands of Adventure is the best place. There was also a Christmas parade. I really loved going during this time of year; everything was beautiful in both parks.

I also went on my own to Hollywood Studios and Epcot Center , which are the two Disney parks in Orlando that have had the most recent additions. At Hollywood Studios, the Toy Story Land and Star Wars attractions are highlights… Lots of new rides and many great simulators, so they're highly recommended. At Epcot Center, there were new rides like Guardians of the Galaxy and a new section of Moana, which is a really nice water ride .

I visited both parks in one day. For Disney , I had to buy the FastPass ticket to significantly reduce wait times . Since I was visiting both parks in one day, it worked really well for me. At Universal Studios, it wasn't necessary to buy the FastPass because the park was empty; I was lucky to have a 15-minute wait, or 30 minutes at most. This varies depending on the date. The recommendation, during peak season, is to buy the FastPass ticket.

The charm of holiday homes

"What I liked most was seeing the vacation homes , that blew me away. Houses of all kinds, there were townhouses, which are smaller but equipped with an open-plan kitchen, a second floor, bedrooms, a bathroom, something bigger than staying in a hotel. And there were magnificent houses, I mean, I visited houses with eight bedrooms, and also for all budgets."

The houses would be incredibly affordable, considering that with eight bedrooms, you'd typically pay the equivalent of two families, and they can accommodate up to 16 people at a reasonable price. There are beautiful, lovely houses, but there are also gorgeous, luxurious homes with brand-new, ultra-modern furnishings and themed rooms .

I went to a house that had a Toy Story room, completely decorated—the beds, the Toy Story toys. Another room was entirely Star Wars themed, another entirely princess-themed, another entirely Harry Potter themed, and the decor was super professional . It had, for example, a movie theater, a living room with ping-pong, pool, and a table for playing poker. The houses were truly beautiful, almost all of them with private pools.

The other big attraction is shopping . There are several outlets, stores like Ross, Ballington, Marshalls, or outlet malls with individual brand stores, but at more affordable prices. You see lots of people shopping too. And the theme parks… Visiting them, this time during the Christmas season, was wonderful—the Christmas atmosphere, the Christmas music. It was truly magical to visit Orlando on Christmas Eve.

Tips if you plan to explore Kissimmee

"When staying in Kissimmee, I would always recommend renting a car . The distances are significant if you want to get around. For example, 'I want to go shopping at Walmart or I want to go to a store.' Uber works really well, but I always believe in the idea of having the independence of having your own car, of being able to move around whenever you want."

Kissimmee is super close to the Disney parks , very close, I mean, 15 minutes from Animal Kingdom and the main Disney parks. And many hotels offer transportation to the parks, but at specific times. On the other hand, when you rent your own car, you decide what time you leave and what time you return. So, you're kind of dependent on the hotel's shuttle schedule. That's one of my main recommendations.

The other thing is accommodation. Ideally, you should stay somewhere that's convenient for everything you want to do and see, and for about 10 nights . Trying to visit several parks in a row is very tiring. I always recommend arriving on your first day and not visiting any parks that day; try to relax. Then, visit one park the next day and alternate between them. Always leave at least one day in between to rest and recover, because otherwise, while the adrenaline will make you feel great at first, if you don't rest, you'll end the trip completely exhausted.

People also want to go shopping, so the recommendation would be that, ideally 10 nights of accommodation, so you can enjoy yourself and not get too worn out on the trip .

Recommendations for visiting Orlando theme parks

Another tip is to plan your visits carefully , keeping a calendar of which park you'll visit each day, and purchasing FastPass passes during peak Disney seasons . Regardless of whether it's off-season, Disney is always incredibly crowded. I would always recommend purchasing FastPass passes at Disney, which you can do through the Disney app. You should buy them on the same day you visit the park.

The cost varies depending on the day, but it can be around $25 per day. There will always be some rides that have a separate cost , such as the most popular rides or the newest ones, which have an additional cost of around $15-$20 for fast-track access.

At Universal, I would always recommend buying tickets in the park , because the fast-track lines are extremely expensive. I mean, it can cost $80, $90, or $100 per person per day—the price varies, but that's roughly the cost. It's very expensive, so I always recommend going to the park to see if it's crowded. If it is, buy your tickets there, as the price will be the same if you buy them in advance. If it's not crowded, don't buy them. I think that's the main thing to remember.

Oh! And always travel with travel insurance, it's very important ."